This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
"Ms. Conner, why can't we read Batman?" asked one of my students during independent reading. A few ears perked up, and other young voices chimed in.
"Yeah! Batman! And Runaways! Superman! Books like that."
I'm a teacher. A group of middle school students actually begging for books? Sign me up!
My students are 6th, 7th, and 8th grade scholars with learning or developmental disabilities severe enough that they are in the self-contained setting for the majority of their school day.
Every day, they amaze me with their kindness, imagination, and passion for learning. In our classroom you can often find my scholars working together to solve complex equations, holding text-based debates, or discussing solutions to the pollution problems in the Chesapeake Bay. Come spend a day in my classroom and you will find yourself in the company of some of the brightest, most determined students in Baltimore.
My Project
In my classroom, we are blessed to have 20 minutes of independent reading time each day. This is a time that is set aside for the scholars to self-select books that they find exciting -- a process that many studies show is one of the single most effective ways for a student to develop a passion for reading and to naturally improve their vocabulary acquisition. In addition to the popular Batman and Superman requests, I am also selecting books that feature diverse protagonists who will both reflect the world my students live in and expose them to new cultures in a safe, exciting way.
As a special education teacher, selecting exciting material for independent reading can be a challenge.
When a scholar is on a 2nd grade reading level in a 7th grade classroom, they are extremely hesitant to pick a book that looks like it was made for 2nd graders. If these books are added to the class library, my students can reach for titles featuring the same characters that 12-year-olds of all reading levels have loved for decades -- while meeting a few new characters, too.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. C. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
